To Cover Letter or Not To Cover Letter

BLOGGER'S NOTE: No April Fool's Day prankery here!  The only fool is the one who doesn't read my great cover letter advice!!

Sorry George, I wish I lived closer to my family!

Not having blogged in almost a month, I struggled this past week to come up with an engaging yet relevant way to demonstrate the cover letter's importance in a job search.  Ironic enough, and amid my mental turmoil, a family member reach out asking for help on their own cover letter.  Excited about the opportunities this new job would create for them, as well as the decreased driving distance to visit for me, I gladly volunteered my time.  Reading their initial draft, which by no means was bad or wrong, I realized that even the smartest and most creative of professionals may not know the best way to demonstrate their experience and value.  Perhaps this was reason enough to write about the importance and relevance of a great cover letter.

THE "HYPE MAN"
Known as the resume's promotional opener, or as they say in the entertainment industry "hype man," the cover letter is a personalized introduction that puts a candidate's professional experience, skills, and qualifications into context as they're applicable to a specific job. Simply put:  the cover letter generates excitement about a resume and convinces a reader to review it.  As most career experts would attest, the cover letter also serves as a hiring manager or employer's first impression of a candidate - are they able to effectively articulate why they want a job, do they demonstrate the value they would bring to a company, do they have good grammar?

According to Forbes.com, the most effective cover letters demonstrate how a candidate will be successful in a job, maintain their likeability, and fit in with peers, as well as superiors.  An effective cover letter also, and perhaps most importantly, makes a hiring manager feel special.  In our current competitive job market, managers ultimately are looking for candidates who stand out in a sea of resume sameness.  They are looking for candidates who are able to demonstrate that their reason for wanting a job is unique.  Such uniqueness is often served up with more creativity then a resume allows.  Outlined below are the key differences between a cover letter and resume:

COVER LETTER	RESUME
Concise essay/letter format (bullet points may be used)	Chronological outline or list structure (bullet points should be used)
Highly selective, emphasizes specific times or themes in a career	Overview of entire career, does not focus on specific roles or  personal experiences
Speaks directly to its reader, more personal	Limited ability to customize
Opportunity to show creativity – written in first person	Fixed format – written in third person

WHAT DOES THE COVER LETTER SAY?
Let's face it, a hiring manager doesn't care about the fox.  They, however, do care what a candidate's cover letter says.  This is why it's imperative for job seekers to stand out by showing their personality and creativity in a succinct way.  David Jensen, careers writer for the Journal of Science says, and I agree, that a cover letter is a formulaic sales tool that entices the reader to review a candidate's resume.  Below is an outline of how this should be accomplished.

COVER LETTER OUTLINE

• Salutation:  The greeting should be formal and addressed to a decision maker.  If the decision maker is not known, the letter should be more generic. "Dear Hiring Manager, Dear NAME OF ORGANIZATION Selection Committee, Dear NAME OF SCHOOL DISTRICT School Board.  Avoid using, "To Whom It May Concern."

• First Paragraph:  This paragraph includes an explanation of how the job seeker heard about the role - job posting, former colleague, networking group, etc.  "I am writing to express my sincere interest in the Account Manager role as posted on anyjobboard.com on March 21, 2014" or "Your colleague and my former coworker Dan Smith recommended that I reach out to express my interest in the Content Management role..."

• Second Paragraph: This by far is the most important paragraph in the cover letter, as it should creatively share a job seeker's accomplishments, and how those accomplishments will benefit a company and hiring manager.  This paragraph also should persuade the hiring manager to review a resume.  This may be done in paragraph or bullet point format.  "I am confident that my years of compressible flow research would be a great asset to the direction Aerospace Invaders is taking in its New Technologies department.  As a team, it also would able us to make an immediate impact in the areas of turbulence and boundary layers that have become increasingly computational in nature."
 

• Third Paragraph:  Often known for its call to action, this paragraph provides the reader with finality and addresses next steps in a straight forward manner.  "I welcome the opportunity to meet with you in person and share how my experience working as an agency Account Manager will benefit your team and company."

• Signature:  Like the greeting, it should be formal. "Sincerely, Warm Regards, Regards," etc.  A job seeker also should not forget to sign their name to the letter.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE COVER LETTER
In our social media saturated lives there, of course, are opposing viewpoints on whether or not a cover letter is necessary when applying for a job.  Some experts believe a candidate's time should be spent perfecting their resume and social media profile, while others conclude that a cover letter shows a candidate's ability to articulate themselves and think critically.  Both, however, agree that if a cover letter is not engaging, there's no need to send it.  "A cover letter, especially one that is customized to the position tells me the person is actually applying for this position.  The person cares enough to write something that applies - not just a blanket response of resumes to a bunch of jobs" Patrick Chaupham, Senior Vice President of Digital Communication at Weber Shandwick.

Even as more companies are using digital platforms to vet candidates' qualifications, the cover letter remains important in the application process.  Unlike s social media profile, a cover letter connects the dots for a hiring manger on why a candidate is the best fit for a specific role, especially when it may not be evident by their experience.  And for those who say the cover letter no longer has value, I say, "that's not the case!"  The cover letter does have value and that value is determined by its writer.  If a job seeker writes an uninspired, text laden letter that simply regurgitates their resume, of course it won't add any value to their application and the hiring manager will not read it.  If a candidate, however, shares a concise and well written view on why they are passionate about a role and what they would bring in terms of value to the company, then they have a great chance of moving forward in the process.   Simply put - a hiring manager won't be excited about a candidate unless the candidate is excited about them.
  
TO READ OR NOT TO READ
Of course not every decision maker will read a cover letter, but for those who do, it will place significant importance on a their decision.  Recently, I worked with a manager to fill a marketing role.  As part of the candidate submittal process, she asked that I include for each candidate's cover letter.  When I told her that I usually send a short summary of a candidates qualifications she said, "No, I would like a cover letter written by each candidate. I want to understand why they want this job, and how they think their qualifications are a fit."


EMAIL VS. LETTER 
When an email cover letter is requested, it should be shorter than its hard copy counterpart.  In an email cover letter, a job seeker should:

• Place the signature block that generally goes at the top of the page below a candidate's name at the bottom
• Use a subject line that is logical to the reader, as it may just determine whether or not an email cover letter is read
• Though it won't be hand-written, include a typed signature at the bottom of the email

COVER LETTER REMINDERS
Below are a few important reminders when writing a cover letter: 

• Make it engaging and personal
• Keep it concise
• Proofread!

I'm happy to report that my family member did get an interview and, subsequently, a job offer!  Though I'm sure their experience spoke volumes, I'd like to think that their cover letter had a little something to do with their success.